This month Italeri are releasing a couple of my favorite jets in 1/48, the Tornado F3 and the Mirage F1C. The Tornado comes with some rather tasty looking marking. The F1C has an excellent choice of multi national markings and camouflage finishes. The F1C also comes with a decent amount of things to hang from pylons.

Italeri have released 1/48 Spitfire IX in the guise of a RAF “Beer Truck”, well it carries two kegs of beer under the wings. Jean-Luc reliably informs me that the moulds are from Ocidental. The camouflaged “Beer Truck” sporting invasion stripes is one of four versions offered in this release. The other three are all natural finished machines, two with the RAF and the other is a Dutch machine.

Wolfpack Designs have released a number of resin detail sets this month for 1/48 scale kits. They include cockpit sets for the Kinetic kits the F-16E 'UAE and the F-16F 'UAE', avionics and wheel sets for the Airfix kit of the TSR.2 and finally the ATAR engine for the Eduard or Hobbyboss Mirage IIICJ.

Petr Buchar has sent me the latest news of CMR 1/72 resin kits releases for the first half of this year. Last week I mentioned the release of a 1/72 resin Buccaneer S.Mk.2B, also to be released will be Buccaneer S.Mk.2B “operation Granby”. Other planned releases in 1/72 are DH Vampire FB.9, DH Vampire NF.10, three different releases of the Supermarine Scimitar F.1, a wing fold set for the Scimitar, and finally a Boeing Model 40C.

Roden just keeps on churning them out. I just got a package with examples of the second 1:144 issue DC-7C (They sold out of the first set issued in Feb. 2011.) The new 1:72 Nieuport 24 and the 1:48 PC-6/B2-H2 were also included. All in all a great selection.

DP Casper has released this 1/72 decal sheet to cover many of the aircraft involved in Operation Dynamo. Aircraft include the Spitfire Mk I, Spitfire Pr Mk I, Hurricane Mk I, Defiant Mk I, Lysander Mk IV, Skua Mk II, Swordfish Mk I, Blenheim Mk IV, MS-152, Potez 63-11, Bf 109E, Bf-110C, He-111H, Do-17Z and the Ju-87B. DP Casper have this title released under their “Forgotten Campaigns”, which I am not quite sure is appropriate. But I do like the series of decals by DP Casper concentrating on the aircraft during conflicts.

No. 80 in the Warpaint series is the Saab J35 Draken. which was one of the best of the first generation of highly supersonic fighters to be developed and put into production during the 1950s. It was a remarkable achievement in many respects, not least because Sweden was one of the smallest nations to operate an aircraft industry.

Junkers JU 52 is No. 81 in the Warpaint series. When the late Richard Burton finally reveals the traitor at the end of 'Where Eagles Dare' the gallant escapees continue their journey aboard a captured Junkers Ju52. While the great Burton is no longer with us his ride home still is. Although the Junkers Tri-motor would never achieve the fame and widespread use as its American counterpart, The Douglas C-47 Skytrain, it would still carve its niche in the annals of history.

Always a feature of parked modern aircraft that is often overlooked when displaying a model, are the myriad of remove before flight flags. DACO Products have released a decal sheets with numerous styles and two colour [red and orange] of flags in 1/32, 1/48 and 1/72 scales. Each decal flag is folded over to provide a two sided flag.

Ryanair's and Alaskan Airlines CEO's definitely had their tongues in their respective cheeks with these schemes for their aircraft. DACO Products Danny Coremans has faithfully reproduced the very fine lines of the original Dreamliner livery. The B737-300 'Simpsons Jet' of WestPac Airlines is a modified release of the original decal sheet done by DACO. The 'Simpsons Jet' comes as two releases, one for the Minicraft kit and the other is for the DACO/Skyline kit. Nice one Danny.

Some excellent resin products have been released by Quickboost in 1/72 this month. P-51D propeller with assembly jig, the DH Mosquito and the Fw Ta 154 exhausts, as well as the P-38 Lightning gun barrels look excellent.

Kinetic have released a rather tasty looking 1/48 F-16A block 20 dressed up in grey tiger stripes for the TIGER MEET 2009. Included with this release is a PE sheet, a turned pitot tube and oh yes some pretty spectacular decals designed by DACO products from Belgium and printed by Cartograf of Italy. There is quite a parts count, hopefully there are plenty of things to hang from the wings.

Pavla has released images of their forthcoming detail sets for the A Model 1/72 DH 100 Vampire Mk I. Detail sets include one for the cockpit, including two different styles of canopy. Another set containing the engine nozzle and wheels. Finally there is the pilot's seat available separately.

Airfix have reduced the price of the three versions of their line of 1/48 Canberra's by around 50%. In other words buy two kits for the old retail price of one kit. They were originally priced at £29.99 each. Airfix have reduced them to £14.99. If you're living in the UK, if your order total exceeds £40, you are offered free postage. Can't be bad. I have ordered mine already. Check out the red SALE link on the Airfix homepage, listed below.

Shesto Ltd. have announced an interesting metal foiling system that could well have uses for aircraft modelling – highly polished natural metal finishes, undercarriage oleos and lamp reflectors spring immediately to mind…

Stormo! Online Magazine has released the third part of its series of decals featuring Bf 109 aces of the Regia Aeronautica and the Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana This time the focus is on the last months of the war, with a great selection of late Bf 109Gs and 'Ks of the ANR.

The Mustang is certainly one of the most popular aircraft of WW2 so it's no wonder every producer wants to have it in their stable. This time ICM Holding has prepared another edition of the Mustang in the British markings.

Here is the latest release from 4+ Publications. The Panavia Tornado colours and markings is available in their Mark 1 Guide range. As with all these titles under the Mark 1 Guide there are decals included with a choice of scales to choose from.

Sword have announced that they will be soon releasing in 1/72 a P-47N and the Seafire L MkIIc. Both aircraft seem to share the common feature of clipped wings. The artwork for the box illustration looks particularly good.

Sword are to re-release their two recent versions of the T-33's in 1/72. This time they will have the addition of coloured PE parts. Also to be released by Sword soon is the P-80A/B. I recently purchased T - 33 USAF and RCAF and with the inclusion of resin parts and I thought it was superb. It can only be better with the bonus coloured PE parts. The artwork for the box illustrations look particularly good.

Quite a few releases from Quickboost in 1/48 this month. The Mig-29 air intake and exhaust covers look good. I am not a big fan of resin pitot tubes, but the Delta Dart's look pretty tempting. Those gun barrels for the Hasegawa P-38 look stunning.